Insightful Commentary from and on the Canadian Film World

Madame (Review)

Ah, Paris. The country of love… Sometimes. Anne (Toni Collette) and Bob (Harvey Keitel) are struggling with their marriage as indicated in the opening. As a simple bike ride gets out of hand for the two of them and the end up going separate ways. That’s what it like for the wealthy couples. But much like other rich people, Anne is a bit on the cray-cray side as well. She finds the best way to celebrate her success is inviting international folks from other countries to an event. While making a grand dinner for her friends visiting around the globe, she discovers last minute there are 13 places on the table set. Since that particular number is considered unlucky, she sets another. But who’s going to sit there? Anne decides to have her maid Maria (Rossy de Palma) disguise herself as a guest that nobody knows, and hopefully nobody will talk to. But awkward discussions among the guests aren’t the only things about to go awry. Because Maria has a little too much wine to drink and engages in the colourful banter along with everyone else, thus making the dinner more interesting and causing one guest named David (Michael Smiley) to take interest in her. Interestingly enough, he is the only guest who actually knows she’s just a maid. This so-called love-life of Maria’s puts a strain on Anne as her marriage clearly isn’t top-notch and it’s making her jealous. Also it interferes with Maria’s job as a maid.

Okay, so it sounds like the whole thing is chaotic, but it’s a funny and interesting concept. The dialogue is hilarious, from the joke Maria tells to Bob’s reaction when he discovers what Maria is up to. The story is capitvating and keeps one interested. The characters are all involved in interesting stories that build up to one interesting showcase. A couple of different plots which tell different stories about love. Anne and Bob’s honestly doesn’t seem like much, but it still finds a way to tie in with Maria and her personal life along with the issue of David. It’s not often I come across a comedy which makes me laugh, or anything that makes me laugh for that matter. A great film that shows sometimes things work out in an interesting matter, no matter how crazy a situation can be.